WyADRC helps older and disabled residents
Wyoming Aging and Disability Resource Center
March 25, 2012
Wyoming residents may find the help they need to meet challenges often faced by those growing older or coping with a disability, according to the Wyoming Department of Health.
The Wyoming Aging and Disability Resource Center (WyADRC) provides statewide services to residents over the age of 55 and adults living with a disability, as well as family members, caregivers and healthcare providers.
"Many people face a series of difficult decisions about how to best help themselves or a family member who either suddenly or gradually needs assistance with healthcare and daily living," said Debbie Walter, state ADRC coordinator with the Wyoming Department of Health’s Aging Division. "Choosing the best option for your parent who may need nursing care, for example, is much easier when you know the details about the services available in his or her community."
The WyADRC toll-free number, 1-877-435-7851, puts any Wyoming caller in touch with professional and knowledgeable staff members who can direct people to resources in their community. The companion WyADRC website is available online at www.wyomingadrc.org.
"WyADRC offers a ‘one-stop-shop’ for support and services coordination," Walter said. Examples of the help offered include:
*Information and referral assistance
*Long-term-care options counseling
*Benefits counseling
*Eligibility application assistance for local, state and federal programs
*Resource coordination
Walter described examples of help provided by WyADRC in its first year. "We began working with a man living in a nursing facility who has hoarding issues. He allowed friends and a provider to go into his home and remove items that had been causing significant clutter, creating dangerous living conditions, and threatening his safety. Enough rooms have been cleared to allow him to return home from the nursing facility. This is represents a very significant savings in Medicaid dollars," Walter said.
"In another case, a mother wanted to give her young adult son who is living with a disability the opportunity to live on his own," Walter continued. "We connected him with a provider who specializes in helping people with disabilities in similar situations. They made it possible for him to live on his own by providing a support person who is available when needed."
There are no income eligibility guidelines to receive help from the WyADRC program.
Southwest Wyoming Recovery Access Programs (SW-WRAP), a non-profit organization, serves as the contractor to the Wyoming Department of Health’s Division on Aging to provide WyADRC services. The WyADRC's main office is located at 280 Monroe Avenue in Green River, with outreach offices in Rock Springs, Evanston, Cheyenne and Sheridan.
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